Saturday, December 01, 2012

Frog struck down by lightning

An Australian family had a lucky escape when a lightning bolt struck only 20m from their home.
But a green tree frog hiding in a power box was not so lucky- he was fried
alive. Belinda Brustolin said there was a bright flash before her house went dark
when the bolt struck a power pole in her frontyard.

‘It was like nature’s version of Territory Day,’’ she said. ‘‘There was a thunder clap, a bright flash and then the power went out. Mrs
Brustolin lives with her husband Mark and her four children in Girraween in the Northern Territory.

The lightning struck at about
5.50am as much of Darwin, Palmerston and the rural area was drenched in the
first downpour in weeks. The rural mother said her youngest two boys had a mighty fright from the the
loud noise. ‘‘It was a good storm,’’ she said.

‘‘It was manic, within 10 minutes it was
on and next thing I had six dogs and two kids in my bed.’’ The Brustolin’s were left without power all day. The fuses were as fried as the frog after the lightning strike torched the
electricity supply. The family’s trusty generator came to the rescue. Mrs Brustolin has lived at
the property for 30 years.